Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

It covers a huge majority of those who work with children. In fact one of the complaints I get in my job relates to the delay it sometimes takes to clear a person to work in this area. As late as this week a Deputy approached me in respect of a delay in trying to approve persons to work with children. We need to strengthen the vetting process further and that is happening. Clearly there is a huge issue for victims and their families. Given that the Health Service Executive has a counselling service I have asked it to communicate with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Irish Prison Service and others with a view to making that counselling service available to the victims and their families in these circumstances.

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